BHUBANESWAR/MALKANGIRI:Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) stormed a wedding function in southern district of Malkangiri where they killed a tribal youth branding him as a police informer on Friday night, hours before security forces gunned down a Maoist in Niyamgiri hills of Rayagada district during an exchange of fire.
Acting on a tip-off about congregation of Maoists near Dangamati village, a District Voluntary Force (DVF) team, led by Rayagada SP K Siva Subramani, headed out to comb the Niyamgiri hills on Friday evening.
During the early hours of Saturday, the security forces came across the Maoist camp where about 40 members were present. In the ensuing exchange of fire, a middle-aged cadre was killed. His identity is yet to be ascertained.
About seven hours before the group was spotted in Rayagada, down south in Malkangiri, the Maoists killed Biswanath Khilla, a tribal youth of Panasput village in the cut-off region on the other side of Chitrakonda reservoir.
Biswanath, according to his uncle Kamal Lochan Khilla, was in a marriage ceremony at Khajuriguda, about one km from Panasput, when a group of 12 Maoists raided the function. Armed with sophisticated weapons, they dragged him to nearby forest. He was produced before a “Praja Court” which branded him as a police informer and handed out death sentence. The Maoist tied Biswanath’s hands and slit his throat with a sharp weapon. He bled to death at the spot. On December 26 last, the Maoists had killed Badpadar sarpanch Jayaram Khara on the same charges.
Meanwhile in Niyamgiri hills, the security forces found a huge cache of ammunition and arms following a search in the camp. Four guns, at least 180 rounds of ammunition for various fire arms, hand grenade, seven SLR magazine, two wireless sets, a dozen knives, two tiffin bombs apart from logistics materials were found in the camp.
The operation, the first successful one in the last three years in the region, is considered a major step for Odisha Police as Maoists are trying to create a corridor through Rayagada-Kandhamal-Kalahandi districts to connect Chhattisgarh.
Sources said the group was being commanded by Bauri Bandhu Sethi alias Sukhdev alias Bunty who was present at the camp. Bunty who heads Bansdhara-Ghumsar Division of CPI (Maoist) operates a group of about 46 cadres. However, with local recruitment drying up, he was being assisted by a company of cadre sent by the Maoist party from Chhattisgarh.
“We have information that the Chhattisgarh company comprised 30 cadre members and was trying to build up activities in the region by supporting the Bansadhara-Ghumsar Division which operates in four sub-groups of about 10 members each,” a senior police officer said.
MALKANGIRI CASE
Armed with sophisticated weapons, Maoists raid a marriage function in a village of Malkangiri district
They drag a youth from the spot to nearby forest
The youth convicted in ‘Praja Court’ as a police informer
The Red ultras slit his throat and he bleeds to death
RAYAGADA INCIDENT
On a tip-off about Maoists’ presence, District Voluntary Force team, led by Rayagada SP, launches combing operation in Niyamgiri hills
Security forces come across the Maoist camp attended by about 40 members
Exchange of fire ensues and a middle-aged cadre is killed